Truthall Halt railway station

Truthall Halt
Station on Helston Railway
The restored station taken from the road bridge to the South in May 2018.
General information
LocationEngland
Coordinates50°07′15″N 5°17′01″W / 50.1209°N 5.2837°W / 50.1209; -5.2837
Platforms1
Key dates
3 July 1905Opened
July 1906Renamed Truthall Platform
5 November 1962Closed
16 March 2017Reopened[1]

Truthall Halt on the Helston branch was opened on 3 July 1905. The small station, which was located just above the 300 feet (91 m) contour, served the villages of Trannack and Gwavas, and also Truthall Manor. It was the first stop about one and three-quarters miles (2.8 km) north of Helston.[2]

Truthall originally had a short platform with an iconic "Pagoda Platform Shelter”.

Description

Truthall Halt was constructed adjacent to a road overbridge and had pedestrian access down a short flight of shallow steps from the road; there was no vehicular access. It had a single platform 84 feet long on the down side of the line, though it was shortened later to about 50 feet.[3] The platform had stone edging and a cinder surface and infill held back by wooden slats retained by wooden posts and lengths of Barlow Rail, disposed of by the West Cornwall Railway and Great Western Railway.Great Western Railway[4]

History

Truthall Halt was opened by the Great Western Railway in July 1905 after the line had been opened for a number of years.

Truthall Halt opened as such but changed its name to Truthall Platform in July 1906 and closed with this name on 5 November 1962.[5] The station has held three different names – Truthall Platform, Truthall Halt and Truthall Bridge Halt – although the last one was only referred to in ticketing.[6]

In 2016–17 the platform was rebuilt and re-opened in March 2017.[7] On 9 February 2019, Truthall Halt and the Helston Railway won the Heritage Railway Association Annual Award for Small Groups for the work in restoring Truthall.[8]

Restoration

Truthall Halt in 2017

The platform has been rebuilt by the Helston Railway as their third station along the line. The halt has been restored in its original two coach length with as many original features as possible [9] including a replica of the GWR Pagoda shelter has been built new from photos and original drawings of the shelter.[1]

The station was formally opened on the 5th April 2018 by HRH the Duke of Gloucester.

The restored station won the Cornish Buildings Group award in 2019 for its "considerable research and constructional ingenuity".[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Jones, Robin, ed. (February 2018). "Cornwall's Truthall Halt reappears from the past". Heritage Railway. No. 238. Horncastle: Mortons Media. p. 10. ISSN 1466-3562.
  2. ^ "Helston Branch - Cornwall Railway Society". Cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  3. ^ Cornwall Railway Stations, Mike Oakley, 2009, Dovecote Press, Wimborne Minster, ISBN 978-1-904-34968-6
  4. ^ Heginbotham, Stephen (2010). Cornwall's Railways Remembered. Halsgrove. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-0-85704-005-3.
  5. ^ "Cornwall railway society webpage". Cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  6. ^ "Photo of a ticket from Truthall Bridge Halt to Helston". Cornwall Railway Society. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Helston Railway website photos November 2016". Helston Railway. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  8. ^ "2019 Awards - Winners and Shortlists". Heritage Railway Association. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019.
  9. ^ "Helston Railway Info page". Helstonrailway.org. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  10. ^ "Awards 2019". Cornish Buildings Group. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Nancegollan   Great Western Railway
Helston Railway 		  Helston